Vauxhall is one of the UK’s leading vehicle manufacturers and part of the global Stellantis Group. Operating at high-volume production facilities, Vauxhall produces passenger cars and light commercial vehicles for both domestic and export markets, with a strong focus on efficiency, quality, and continuous improvement across its assembly operations.
In a high-output automotive environment, maintaining production efficiency is critical, even short periods of downtime can have a significant cost impact.
Vauxhall faced challenges associated with ageing tooling, production inefficiencies, and the need to reduce downtime and improve reliability across its general assembly and body shop operations. Fast response times were essential, alongside a partner capable of supporting ongoing production demands and resolving issues without disrupting output.
We have worked in partnership with Vauxhall for over 7 years, supporting their production facilities with tooling solutions and ongoing technical expertise, primarily through Cleco systems.
Our role has extended far beyond supply, acting as a responsive and embedded support partner within their manufacturing environment. Key elements of our approach include:
Alongside reactive support, we also help Vauxhall improve long-term production efficiency through better tooling strategies and continuous collaboration with their engineering teams.
““Abbey have been instrumental in the efficiency and productivity of our production process. Their custom solutions and the team’s collaborative presence on-site have been key to helping us reduce our downtime, lead times and cost per car.”
Gareth Pennington | Process Engineer
Our partnership has helped Vauxhall improve production reliability and reduce downtime across key manufacturing processes. Faster response times and on-site support have ensured issues are resolved quickly, helping maintain consistent output across high-demand production schedules.
Over time, this has contributed to improved operational efficiency, reduced disruption, and stronger control over tooling performance across their facilities
Our approach is built around being a long-term production partner rather than a traditional supplier. Vauxhall benefits from:
We focus on integrating into the customer’s production environment to ensure continuous support and improvement.
Part of Stellantis Group who are the fifth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, holding a 19% market share globally.
Their UK sites make passenger cars and light commercial vehicles for the domestic and export market.
With an output of over 250,000 vehicles annually and a work force in excess of 2,700 people.
Maintaining productivity is vital at both sites. Just an hour of downtime can cost Stellantis thousands of pounds in lost revenue. Experiencing faulty parts, ageing assets, and long lead times for replacement parts, Vauxhall and IBC needed to act fast to prevent the impact on end-product quality, production costs, and business reputation.
To make every minute count, Vauxhall and IBC needed a partner to resolve production and supply issues within the general assembly and body shop. They brought in the experts at Abbey to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their manufacturing processes.
Our first step was to address common faults like scratched alloy wheels and door misalignment using production tooling and programming solutions to prevent damage to product quality and the need for rework.
To reduce lead times, Abbey implemented a consignment stock programs for both sites, ensuring a large inventory of over 370 tools and accessories on-site. This has enabled them to quickly access the assets they need without delays.
Providing innovative solutions in areas such as electric vehicles and battery production, helps operators stay safe in the evolving motor vehicle industry. We also host innovation days and product demonstrations to ensure all operators have the best practice knowledge to implement these solutions daily.
What began as problem-solving at the time of need soon evolved into an always-on partnership providing custom solutions to complex production problems.
Abbey Industrial Solutions have been a key partner to both sites for over seven years. During this time, our expert team have become an essential part of the supply chain and production process for both companies, helping to keep downtime to a minimum and output to a maximum.
